Test Strip Dispenser

Abstract

A strip dispenser has a strip magazine, a magazine spring, a strip vial component, and a cover. The strip magazine has a magazine open end and an outer magazine casing surrounding the strip magazine adjacent the open end for a predefined distance along the strip magazine where the magazine has a magazine volume with an open magazine top. The magazine spring is contained within the strip magazine. The strip vial component has a magazine receiving end, a closed end and a vial recess for slidably receiving the strip magazine between a first position and a second position where the vial recess has a shoulder portion spaced from the closed end and adjacent to and aligned with the open magazine top. The cover encloses the magazine open end and has a slit spaced a predefined distance from an edge of the cover where the slit is in communication with the magazine volume and the open magazine top and in spatial alignment with the shoulder portion.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates generally to containers and vials. Particularly, the present invention relates to test strip vials. More particularly, the present invention relates to test strip dispensers. [0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art [0004] Over the years, various kits have been devised that include items known as disposables and / or consumables. The disposables and / or consumables are generally one component of a multi-component kit. These kits are typically used for qualitative testing or quantitative testing or both. For example, kits exist to test for the presence of particular chemical species in the air, smoke stacks, water, and the like. Other kits have been developed for testing the presence of biological species. Still other kits have been developed particularly for use in patient treatment. One example of such a medical test kit is a kit to test the glucose level in blood, particularly for use by d...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008] It is an object of the present invention to provide a strip dispenser that is inexpensive to manufacture. It is another object of the present invention to provide a strip dispenser that is simple to use. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a strip dispenser that dispenses a test strip one at a time without the risk of spilling the contents of the strip dispenser. It is still another object of the present invention to provide a strip dispenser that uses a simple, structural arrangement of components to achieve the consistent dispensing of a test strip one at a time.

Problems solved by technology

There are, however, several disadvantages of the prior art.

The use of simply vials creates a risk of spilling the entire contents of the vial when one is extracting a single disposable and / or consumable.

In the case where the disposable / consumable is a test strip, the spilled test strips could get contaminated depending on where they were spilled and, if contaminated, would have to be discarded.

The more sophisticated, electro-mechanical devices add cost to the kit due to the addition of more complicated and more expensive parts used to eject and electrically connect a test strip for use.

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